Cigarette dispensing means



Aug. 6, 1963 A. cALlxTo CIGARETTE DISPENSING MEANS 3 Sheets-Shea?l l Filed Dec. 2l, 1961 INVENTOR. ANTON IO CALIXTO ATTORNEY 11g- 6, 1963 A. cALlxTo 3,100,060

CIGARETTE DISPENSING MEANS lll/lll] AT TOR/VE Y Aug. 6, 1963 A. cALlxTo CIGARETTE DISPENSING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 2l, 1961 INVENTOR. ANTONIO CALIXTO BY ym@ Q WM( ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,100,060 CIGARETTE DISPENSING MEANS Antonio Calixto, Hempstead, N.Y. (5414 NE. 2nd Ave., Miami 37, Fla.) Filed Dec. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 160,980 3 Claims. (Cl. 221-116) This invention relates to cigarette dispensing means and more particularly to such means which 'are adapted to be .tiltably mounted, for instance, on the sun viso-r oi an automob-ile.

More particularly, one embodiment of the invention comprises a case for holding a plurality of cigarettes, the case being adapted to be clipped onto the sun visor of an automobile. When the sun visor is tilted down fnom the horizontal, a gravityfopenated pusher member pushes out one cigarette from the case.

The present invention has several safety and convenience features for iobtaining cigarettes while driving `an automobile. The present device eliminates `any necessity for feeling through pockets, lopening coats, attempting to extract cigarettesy from a package, all of which actions tend to distract the driver vand create unsafe driving conditions.

Another version of the invention operates on the same principle but is rotatably mounted yon .a holder for desk or table use.

Accordingly, a principal object of the invention is to pnovide new and improved cigarette dispensing means.

Another object ofthe invention is. to provide new and improved cigarette dispensing me-ans which lare adapted to be mounted on the sun visor of an automobile.

Another object of the invention is. Ito provide -new and improved cigarette dispensing means which are adapted to be tiltably mounted.

Another 4object of the invention is to provide new and improved cigarette dispensing means comprising a tiltably mounted case land a balance operated pusher member which is adapted to push'out one cigarette when the oase is tilted.

Another object of :the invention is to provide new and improved dispensing means comprising a case adapted to hold a plurality of cigare-ttes, said case hiaving a dispensing aperture on one side, Aa. pusher member pivotally mounted in said case yand a ball mounted in said case and adapted to operate said pusher member to in and out positions as said case is tilted.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and drawings, of which- FIG. 1 is an elevation View of an embodiment of :the invention mounted on a sun visor.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, partially cut away.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along .the lines 3 3 of FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing 4the View yof FIG. 3 in tilted position.

FIGS. 5 `and 6 are detail views illustrating the operation of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of la modiiication of lthe invention.

FIG. 8 is 1a sectional View along ythe lines 8 8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view along the lines 9 9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a detail View of the pivotally mounted pusher member.

FIGS. l1, 12 and 13 are side and sectional views of FIG. 9 illustrating the operation of the embodiment of FIGS. 7 through 10.

Referring to the figures, the invention .generally comice 2 prises ya rectangular case 1 having la suflioient thickness to accommodate two r-ows 2 and 3 of cigarettes with a slight clearance between. Case 1 is adapted to be mounted on an 'automobile sun visor 4 by means of the clip 5. The dotted sun visor 4' illustrates that the case may be mounted ion either the top or the bottom lof the sun visor.

The case 1 also contains an operating compartment 6 which contains a pivlotally mounted pusher member 7 which has a rst foot `extension 7m which is adapted to extend into the portion of the case holding the cigarettes for the purpose of ejecting one cigarette S from a dispensing aperture 10 in the side of the case. The pivotally mounted pusher member has `a second extension 11 at substantially sa right angle to its main laxis. The pusher member is operated by means of the ball 12, which may be a marble.

In FIG. 2 the sun visor has been ipped downto a position below the horizontal so that the ball has rolled by gravity from the position shown by dotted line 12 to the position shown by the ball 12. This aotio-n causes the ball to cause .the pusher member 7 to rotate clockwise about the pivot point 7 causing the extension foot member 7a to push the cigarette S Iout of the dispensing :aperture 11i.

FIG. 3 shows a sec-tional View taken along the line 3 3 of FIG. 1, showing the case 1 in substantially horizontal position with the ball 12 on the righthand side of the figure having retracted .the pusher member by hitting against the retracting foot portion 1l. Hinge 9 permits iopening the casete insert cigarettes.

FIG. 4 shows the action of the ball las the sun visor is tilted down causing the ball to roll from the position ind-icated by the dotted lines in FIG. 4 to the position indicated in full lines ott the ball 12. When the case 1 is tilted down the ball rolls down and has suicient weight to strike the lower portion of the pivotally mounted pusher member 7 so as to cause the pusher member to rotate and push one cigarette out of the case.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the action of the remaining ciga- 4rettes as the case 1 is tilted `from the horizontal position. FIG. 5 shows an arrangement of cigarettes when the case is partially filled. The cigarette 20 .is in the position opposite the dispensing aperture, that is, the position where the foot member 7a will push out the cigarette. A `guide or stop member 21 is located in the case just adjacent the position of the cigarette 201fin order to eliminate any interyference with the cigarette being ejected.

FIG. `6 shows the position of the case 1 after it has been tilted from the horizontal illustrating that the cigarettes tend to roll down towards the dispensing aperture which is located behind the cigarette 205. Therefore, when the cigarette 20 has been removed the `cigarette 22 will :fall into the :ejection position and the next cigarette 23 will fall into the position now occupied bythe cigarette 22.

FIG. 7 shows a modification of the invention which operates on the same principle except the case is rotatably mounted, for instance for desk or table use. lIn this modification there are two dispensing apertures and the pivotal-ly mounted lever has two pusher extensions so that each time the case is ipped over one lcigarette will be ejected.

More specifically referring to FIG. 7 there is shown a case 1 which is pivota-lly mounted on the mounting brackets 25, 26 which are mounted on the base member 27, which -is adapted to be placed `on the table, desk or other horizontal surface. Tlhe case 1 is divided into a cigarette holding compartment which may be removable, and `a compartment for the mechanism similar to the embodiment of FiG. 1. However, in this modification as illustrated in FIG. 8 the cigarette portion is divided by the lpartition 30 and there are two dispensing apertures 31 and 32, one in each compartment.

The pusher member 33 (FIGS. 9l and 10) is pivotally mounted along the centeraxis of the case 1 and has two ejecting -feet 34, 35 which are displaced trom the axis of the member 33 so that the ejection foot 34 lines up with 4the dispensing aperture 312 and the dispensing ootSS lines up with the dispensing aperture 31. Therefore, as the case `1 is ipped to the position shown in FIG. 9 tlhe ball 12a will fall down and cause the pusher member to rotate clockwise in FIG. 9, thereby causing the ejection foot 35 to eject the cigarette 36. Note -that the corners 37 and 38 of the case 1 are iiiled in so as to provide a surface which forces the ball 12a Iagainst the pusher member. ".[Ihe case 1 will normally take a vertical posi- -tion as shown -by FIG. 7 due tothe Weight of the ball 12a.

When the case 1 is flipped again from the posi-tion shown in FIG. 9 then the ball will =fall to the position illustrated by the dotted Iline in ball 12b, causing the ejection foot 34 to eject another cigarette from the aperture 32. The interior surface of tihe case also has a pair of projections 4l?, 41 (FIG. 8) which guide the ball from one side tothe other as the case is flipped over.

FIGS. 1'1 through 13 illustrate the yoperation of the embodiment of FIGS. 7 through 10. In FIG. 11 the cigarette 40 is in the ejection position opposite the aperture 31. FIG. l2 shows the position of the ball 12a when kthe case 1 in dotted lines is in the position shown in FIG. 11.

When the case 11' is rotated clockwise, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 12, the dropping of the ball will be delayed by the stop member 4'41 until the case reaches the position illustrated by the full lines in FTG. v12. As the case is rotated further in a clockwise ,direction from the position of the full lines in FIG. 12, the ball 12o will then rise above the delay stop 41 ,and roll over the stop 41 down to the other end of the case. r[This delay allows the cigarettes to properly position themselves opposite -the dispensing apertures before Ithe eject-ing foot is operated. 1f this delay was not provided and the cigarettes were not v.properly positioned opposite lthe dispensing apertures, then they might become jammed by the ejecting feet.

FIG. 13 shows the delay action of the ball 12a in riding over the stop 41.

Many modifications maybe made by those who desire to practice the invention without departing from the scope thereof which is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

i1. Cigarette dispensing means comprising a rotatably mounted case adapted to receive a plurality of cigarettes,v

a center partition in said case,

said case having a dispensing aperture on each side of said partition,

pusher member pivotally mounted in said case at the other end of said cigarettes from said aperture, said pusher member having a rst extension at one end adapted to push a cigarette out of one of said apertures, said pusher member haviing a second extension at its other end adapted to pus'h a cigarette out of the other of said apertures, said pusher member and one side of said case forming a track transverse to the axis of rotation and a ball mounted in said track and adapted to move said pusher to in and out positions 4as said case is tilted from the horizontal.

2. Cigarette dispensing means comprising a case adapted to receive la plurality of cigarettes, said case having a dispensing aperture on one side and a track adjacent its other side,

a pusher member pivotally mounted -in said case at the other end of said cigarettes yfrom said aperture said pusher member having a first extension at one end adapted to push a cigarette out of said aperture said pusher member having a second extension at its other end extending into said track and a ball mounted in said track and adapted to strike said second extension to move said pusher to eject a cigarette when said case is tilted from the horizontal about an axis transverse to said track.

3. Cigarette dispensing means for a vehicle having a sun visor comprising:

alcase adapted to receive plurality of cigarettes, said case having a dispensing aperture on one side and a track adjacent its other side,

a clip on said case adapted to mount said case on said sun visor,

a pusher member pivotally mounted in said'case at the other end of said cigarettes from said aperture, said pusher member having a rst extension at one end adapted to push a cigarette out of said aperture, said pusher member having a second extension at its other end, extending into said Itrack and Ia ball mounted in said track and adapted to move rsaid pusher to eject a cigarette as said case is tilted from the horizontal about one axis at `a substantial angle to said track suicient -to cause said ball toroll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. CIGARETTE DISPENSING MEANS COMPRISING A ROTATABLY MOUNTED CASE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A PLURALITY OF CIGARETTES, A CENTER PARTITION IN SAID CASE, SAID CASE HAVING A DISPENSING APERTURE ON EACH SIDE OF SAID PARTITION, A PUSHER MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID CASE AT THE OTHER END OF SAID CIGARETTES FROM SAID APERTURES. SAID PUSHER MEMBER HAVING A FIRST EXTENSION AT ONE END ADAPTED TO PUSH A CIGARETTE OUT OF ONE OF SAID APERTURES, SAID PUSHER MEMBER HAVING A SECOND EXTENSION AT ITS OTHER END ADAPTED TO PUSH A CIGARETTE OUT OF THE OTHER OF SAID APERTURES, SAID PUSHER MEMBER AND ONE SIDE OF SAID CASE FORMING A TRACK TRANSVERSE TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION AND A BALL MOUNTED IN SAID TRACK AND ADAPTED TO MOVE SAID PUSHER TO "IN" AND "OUT" POSITIONS AS SAID CASE IS TILTED FROM THE HORIZONTAL. 